Golf target



June 7, 1932. A. s. BOYD 1,862,462

GOLF TARGET Filed Jan. 10. 1931 Art/ar SBQyd. v

INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEY Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES ARTHUR S. BOYD, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS GOLF TARGET Application led January 10, 1931.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in golf` targets, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly eflicient in use and economical in mano ufact-ure.

The salient object of this invention is to provide a golf target for use in the practising and teaching of all golf strokes except puttinv.

znother object of the invention, ancillary to the foregoing object, is to provide a target comprising a plurality of concentric compartments toward which the person practising any one of the several golf strokes may drive the ball, the ball being retained in the particular compartment which it strikes, so that the person playing or practising will be apprised of the results of his strokes and 26 his faults in executing the various strokes, ex-

cept putting, may be pointed out to him, such faults being, among others, stance, form in moving the arms on the stroke, etc.

A further obj ect of the invention is to provide a target for indoor or outdoor use in which each of the several compartments may represent a certain value in swing points so that an incentive will be added to the use of the target for developing accuracy in the execution of the several golf strokes, except putting.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsv to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred form of construction of the invention as seen from the front;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention as shown in Fig. 1, but as seen from the rear;

Serial No. 507,964.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view-of one form of cushioning member embodied in the invention;

, Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of a preferred arrangement of the concentric compartments embodied in the invention; y

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawingwherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted, indicated at 10 is a back board which may be of any suitable material such, for example, as laminated, waterproofed board.` While any suitable supporting means may be employed, in the present instance rigidly attached to the rear of the board 10 (Fig. 2) are legs 11 and 12, and disposed between these legs and hingedly connected to the board 10, as at 18, is a leg 14 which may be connected to the legs 11 and 12 by a iexible rope or the like 15.

-Resilient brackets 16 of suitable material such as spring steel, are provided and one of these brackets is provided at each corner of the board 10, each of th-e brackets 16 including a foot portion 17 (Fig. 5) which is secured to the board 10 by means of suitable bolt and nut structures 18, and each bracket includes a resilient arm 19 which extends right-angularly from the board l0 on the front side thereof.

Mounted on the front side of the board 10 is a plurality of cushions 2() which may be of any suitable construction such, for example, as hair 21 enclosed by waterproofed can- A vas 22, or these cushions 2O may be replaced by a suitable mattress of springs and hair stuffing or the like, formed as one unit. In the present instance, the cushions are mounted on the board 10 by means of straps 23 which are secured to the canvas 22 and extended through openings in the board 10, the straps being detachably connected to each other at the rear of the board 10, as shown in Fig. 2.

In each of the resilient bracket arms 19 a pair of openings 24 are provided (Fig. 5). Tensioning members are indicated at 25 (Figs. 5 and 6) and while these tensioning members may be of any suitable type, in the present instance they are in the form of centrally bored bushings, each of which includes a pair of resilient spring jaws 26 that are adapted to fit into the openings 24 5), a rope 27 being extended through each member 25 with the jaws 26 binding the rope 27 therebetween. 1n the present instance, due to the square shape of th'e' board 10, eight ropes 27 are provided, arranged in pairs of two, and these pairs are numbered 27a, 27o, 27o and 27d in Figs. 1 and 4. At their outer ends these ropes 27 extend through the bushings 25 so as to be gripped by the jaws 26.

Held in position, in a manner to be explained presently, and so as to define the compartment 28, is a fabric strip 29 which is substantially in the form of a square, and concentric with this strip 29 are other similar but longer strips 30, 31 and 32, a compartment 33 being defined between strips 29 and 30, a compartment 34 being defined between strips 30 and 31, and a compartment 35 being defined between the strips 3l and rllhe construction of these strips 29, 30, 31 and 32 is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the arrangement for the other strips being exactly similai to that of strip 32 therein shown. As will be seen by reference to Figs. 5 and G, the strip 32 has cords 33 secured in the margins thereof by overlapping hems 35 and 36, and the construction of the other strips is similar.

The cords 33 of each of the strips 29, 30, 31 and 32 are secured to the ropes 27a, 27?), 270 and 27d by means of cords or the like which form knots 37 (Fig. 5), or in any other suitable manner.

Any suitable tensioning means may be provided if desired in the strips 29, 30, 31 and 32 such, for example, as the turnbuckles 34 (Fig. 4).

A canvas or the like apron 38 is intended to be fastened to the front side of the strip 32 so as to depend from the lower half thereof, and this apron 38 may be fastened to the strap 32 in any suitable manner, such as by stitching. Cords 39 may be provided on the apron 38 to secure the same to a surface and, manifestly, the apron will prevent the ball from being driven under the target. Other aprons may be provided at the sides and top of the target if desired.

In use, the person intending to use the target for recreation or practice will stand a predetermined distance to the front thereof and, employing any golf club except a putter, will drive the ball toward the target attempting to have the ball strike the cushion 2O in the center compartment 28, and if the ball strikes in this compartment a score of any desired value may be allowed therefor. Obviously, when the golf ball strikes the cushion 20 in any one of the compartments the ball will not bounce back but will roll downwardly into the trough 40 of each compartment, the trough 40 being the lowermost corner of the compartment. ln this manner the person playing the target will be able to tell the accuracy of his shot, since the ball will remain in the compartment in which it struck. Thus he may practice the correct stance, form, etc., in driving or playing the other strokes of golf, except putting, suitable scoring values, less than that allowed for the compartment 28, being allowed when the ball strikes the cushioning means in one of the compartments 33, 34, and 35, the scoring value of these compartments decreasing in the order in which they stand from the center compartment 28, since, obviously less accuracy and skill is required to drive a ball into the compartment 35, when aiming for compartment 28, than is required to drive the ball into compartment 34 or compartment 33.

The target may be used either indoors or outdoors and may be mounted on any suitable support.

While l have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention, l, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A golf target comprising flexible means delining a plurality of concentric compartments having an open side, cushioning means at the rear of said compartments to absorb the impact of the ball when struck thereagainst so that the ball` will remain in the compartment into which it is driven, and a supporting structure for said first named means and said cushioning means.

2. A golf target comprising flexible means defining a plurality of concentric compartments having an open side, cushioning means at the rear of said compartments to absorb the impact of the ball when struck thereagainst so that the ball will remain in the compartment into which it is driven, tensioning means for said flexible means, and a supporting structure for said first named means, said tensioning means, and said cushioning means.

3. A golf target comprising a rigid member, flexible means defining a plurality of concentric compartments having an open side, shock absorbing means at the rear of said compartments, and means for supporting said flexible means and said shook absorbing means from said member.

4. A golf target comprising a rigid member, flexible means defining a plurality of concentric compartments having an open side, shock absorbing means at the real` of said compartments, means for supporting said iexible means and said shock absorbing means from said member, and means for tensioning said ieXible means.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature.

ARTHUR S. BOYD. 

